Kentucky WBB 6-foot-7 center Clara Silva puts name in transfer portal with "do not contact" tag

The first transfer domino of the portal season for Kentucky women’s basketball has fallen — and it’s a surprising one.

On3’s Talia Goodman reported Tuesday morning that 6-foot-7 center Clara Silva has entered her name into the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag. A native of Portugal, Silva saw action in all 31 games for the Wildcats this season, posting per-game averages of four points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 12.5 minutes per outing on 56.5 percent shooting.

Typically when a player goes into the portal with a “do not contact” tag, they already have a destination in mind. Silva will have three years of eligibility remaining at her next stop. Kentucky’s season came to an end on Sunday in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament.

Silva was seen as a prized recruit on the international scene during her playing time in her home country of Portugal. Had she been a prospect from the United States, she would have been considered a top 10 recruit in her class. She came to Kentucky with plenty of FIBA experience and was expected to be an important piece for the future of the program. Silva even earned an SEC Freshman of the Week award in November. While not always the most productive, there was plenty of potential.

But just two days after her freshman campaign came to a close, her name is officially in the portal. Head coach Kenny Brooks (who initially recruited Silva to Virginia Tech before taking the UK job) expects to bring back key frontcourt players such as Clara Strack (the SEC Defensive Player of the Year), Teonni Key, and Amelia Hassett, but losing Silva is certainly a blow.